Hell and Heaven's Harmony
by donalgraeme
Summary: Naruto had a third chakra at the Final Valley. A holy chakra. An angel's chakra. Our favorite blond's a tri-breed. Watch as this tale weaves a glamour of deception, betrayal, discovery, and ultimate power. NaruHina.
1. Chapter 1

**No more rambly messages that you won't read. Read the fic. Like it. Review it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

"Speech"

_Thoughts_

"**Demon speak"**

"_**Angel speak"**_

* * *

Sasuke stood over the unconscious form of Naruto. In the end, it had been _his_ power that was greater. Not that Naruto didn't have some decent power himself. Sasuke had to hold back awe as he thought of the chakra that Naruto had just unleashed. That red energy, feeling like poison, the impossible strength and speed.

But then Sasuke smirked. The Curse Mark was greater. Orochimaru was greater than any wanna-be in the Leaf. To emphasize this, Sasuke removed his headband and slashed the Leaf symbol with a kunai. He dropped it on the ground next to Naruto.

* * *

Naruto, though beaten and exhausted, was not unconscious. But no matter how he tried, he could not move a muscle. But he had promised Sakura to bring Sasuke back. And he never went back on a promise. That was his ninja way.

But willpower and determination could only do so much. Naruto felt like he'd been dunked in acid. The Nine-Tailed Fox's power was great, but there was a price for using it. Despite his unyielding efforts to get up and fight until his best friend saw sense, Naruto felt the blackness of unconsciousness creeping into his mind.

The blackness was oppressing, overpowering. Trying to fight it was like trying to lift a mountain above your head. But Naruto fought. He didn't keep the blackness at bay, just held it off. It gained one inch, two. Naruto just wanted to give up, but he didn't. If he failed, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

The blackness was all around him now, just an inch away from smothering him. But Naruto pushed, even though he knew it was useless. He would not let the blackness win. And then, just as the blackness was about to overtake him, there was a light in the blackness.

Naruto grasped at the light. He clung to it, letting its strength flow through him. The blackness backed away, ever so slowly, and the light grew bigger. It kept on growing and growing, filling Naruto's whole body with its rays…

* * *

Sasuke was at the edge of the forest when it hit him like a lightning bolt. An enormous spike in chakra, not of the normal variety. Sasuke turned in horror. No way could the dope have another power.

But apparently he did. Sasuke watched in mounting panic and incredulity as Naruto glowed brighter and brighter. The light was a dazzling blue, so bright that it was almost white. It was a palpable force in the air. It was soon so dazzling that Sasuke had to shield his eyes.

Naruto's body started to lift up, as if the light were liquid. The scratches and bruises and other various wounds sustained during the fight vanished, as if they'd never existed. Naruto was floating an inch above the ground, his body limp, when he opened his eyes.

Sasuke gasped. Those eyes! The irises pulsed with power, but it was the pupil that was the most extraordinary. They weren't black. They were the same blue-white light that engulfed the whole of Naruto's body. Naruto looked up, and Sasuke felt like the pupil's were searchlights scouring Sasuke's very soul.

This chakra made the red one seem insignificant in comparison. Not only was this one more intense, but it felt like steel wire brushing against the very fabric of your being. "Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke felt a chill run up his spine. There was an echo behind Naruto's voice. An echo of pure power.

"It's time for you to see the light!" With that, Naruto attacked. He flew at Sasuke at a speed that, with Sasuke's hastily activated Sharingan, looked normal. That meant that it was probably supersonic to the naked eye. The light carried Naruto like a cushion of air, letting him glide right over the waterfall.

Naruto delivered a swift uppercut. To Sasuke, it felt as if a steel wrecking ball had just hit his jaw. Sasuke was lifted bodily into the air by the force of the punch. Naruto flew straight up, grabbing Sasuke's legs. Naruto spun Sasuke around in the air, building enormous momentum.

"Naruto Uzumaki Ground Toss!" Naruto yelled, still his show-off-y self, even with the layers of chakra. With that battle cry, Naruto flung Sasuke straight down, at a perfect 180 degree angle, with about a megaton of force behind him. The cold, hard, unforgiving stone imploded when Sasuke hit, leaving a crater a good 100 yards across.

Sasuke, through some miracle of flexibility, had managed to not land on his head. Even so, critical injuries were sustained unconsciousness inevitable. As his eyes closed, Sasuke watched Naruto as he gently dropped to the ground, the light dissolving into oblivion when his feet touched the earth. Sasuke's last thought before total black out was: _What are you, Naruto?_

* * *

All that Naruto could do was stare at the crater in shock. He recalled the events of the past minute or two. The light had grown stronger until it was like a physical presence in his body, not unlike the Fox's chakra. He'd felt strength flow through his limbs, until he had felt like he was at 110 percent.

Then of course had come the butt-kicking. Naruto tried to remember how he had moved. It was as if all he had to do was wish he was somewhere, and then suddenly he was there. Instantaneous movement. And of course there'd been the strength. It was as if he had tapped into a better, healthier version of the Fox's chakra.

But, unfortunately, Naruto did not have the cranial capacity to take it all in. So he just decided to live in the moment until an explanation came along. So Naruto walked down the crater, picked up Sasuke piggy-back style, and started on the long journey home.

As Naruto moved, he detected an odd sort of… bubbliness. He couldn't resist the urge to smile. He also noticed a slight spring in his step. He passed it off as joy that he was bringing Sasuke home. However, at the back of Naruto's mind, he doubted that that was the actual explanation.

Just as Naruto reached the top of the cliff on the Hidden Leaf side, Kakashi and Pakkun, jumped out of the trees. Despite his mask, Kakashi managed to give off an expression of shock. Pakkun rubbed his eyes, as if he didn't trust the image he saw. Naruto's grin widened. "Hi, Kakashi-sensei! Why you look so surprised?"

Kakashi took a quick moment to compose himself. "Nothing, Naruto, I just didn't expect to see you so uninjured. You don't have a scratch on you." Naruto felt an odd sort of guilt, but he brushed it aside. "Come on, Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke never stood a chance! He's all bark and no bite."

Kakashi treated Naruto to one of his penetrating stares. They both knew that this was false. But Kakashi didn't decide to question it. "No matter. Let's get Sasuke back to the village." Pakkun puffed out of existence before he could say so much as a word. It wasn't the dog's day.

The next few hours were a blur for Naruto. He was shocked to see the aftermath of his team's battles, and he worried over his teammates to no end. The medics snatched Sasuke right out of Naruto's hands. They gave him a few black glares, but they were a little preoccupied over their work.

When the whole medical procession reached the Hidden Leaf Village, it was a literal riot. Naruto dimly remembered being told to hurry through the crowd's towards the hospital. Grandma Tsunade was everywhere, checking up on everyone. Naruto had been told to sit in an uncomfortable chair, and just when he thought he would go mad with boredom, Tsunade took him to her office.

Tsunade instantly saw the look of worry on Naruto's face, and quickly gave a status report. "Don't worry, Naruto. Everyone's fine. Of course, Chouji will have to carbo-load for a few days, and Neji will spend a few weeks in physical therapy, but I assure you that everyone's fine."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Grandma Tsunade." Tsunade would normally have been ticked off by the nickname, but she let it slide this one time. "Sasuke is doing okay as well. A few people might begrudge you for all his injuries, but I say it's a small price to have him back."

Thoughts of the fight immediately plagued Naruto's mind. He was about to voice his concerns, when Sakura burst into the room. Before his eyes could even widen, Naruto was in a vice-like hug, courtesy of Sakura. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Naruto! Thank you for bringing Sasuke back! I swear, I'll never call you an idiot ever again! And when this is all over, I'll take you to that ramen place you like! My treat!"

Naruto wasn't listening, too busy enjoying his little bubble of joy. He breathed in the strawberry aroma of Sakura's pink hair. Sakura was gushing over him, offering him ramen. Paradise. No need to ruin this moment with thoughts of some strange power. Unfortunately, Tsunade had to break it up.

"Um, Sakura, would you be as kind as to stop choking Naruto?" Sakura was instantly three steps away. Naruto scowled at Tsunade. Leave it to her to ruin his little moment. Tsunade winked at him, a sly wink that seemed to say "It's my job."

Matters went from innocent to serious in a heartbeat as Danzo, and another half dozen angry Council members, stormed into the room. Naruto's heart skipped a beat when he saw the unfiltered hatred and anger in the one-armed man's eyes. Naruto got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that bad news was coming.

"Naruto Uzumaki, by order of the Council, you are hereby banished from the Village Hidden in the Leafs. You have one hour to leave before you are listed as a rogue ninja, and therefore subject to whatever punishment we see fit!" Naruto's pupils contracted in fear. Leave the village? Forever?

Tsunade was on her feet in the blink of an eye. "You do not have authority to do that, you self-serving, manipulative prick! What makes you think you can just banish Naruto?" Danzo starred back with unconcealed contempt. "The Uchiha has suffered heavy injuries, all from this _demon_. He has put the heir to this village's greatest clan at risk. Believe me, this is a lenient punishment."

Tsunade pounded her table, cracks spreading from the point of contact. "Well, I'm the Hokage, so I say your claims are bullshit!" Danzo smiled, just the right note of victory in his eyes. "Check the rulebook, _Lady_ Tsunade. If six or more members of the Council agree on a matter, they have the authority to veto the Hokage's decision on the matter. And I assure you that these men and women beside me back me up fully."

Almost as if on cue, the people who had accompanied Danzo gave a simultaneous look of hatred at the suddenly very scared blond boy in the room. Tsunade had a look of utmost defeat on her face, her eyes suddenly retaining moisture. Her hands were tied. Danzo turned his gaze back to Naruto.

"If you aren't out of this village in the next hour, you will be hunted down and killed by ANBU. I'd wish you luck, but you don't deserve it." With that, Danzo and the pompous Council members left the room. When the door closed, Jiraiya climbed in through the window, having just heard everything.

"Tsunade, you can't just let them sentence Naruto like that. Fight back!" Tsunade looked at the white-haired Sannin with dead eyes. "I'm a Hokage, Jiraiya. I can't fight back. I'm chained by the rules more than anyone, and I can't do anything. Even if I did, it would only make things worse."

Sakura had collapsed on the spot, her sobs raking her body. Naruto felt strangely numb. As if his mind and his body had fallen out of sync. He was aware of Jiraiya arguing with Tsunade, but it was in a corner-of your-eye, you're-not-really-seeing-it sort of way. Naruto tried to imagine life outside the village. He couldn't.

Naruto wasn't aware he was moving until he heard the door close behind him. What to do now? Naruto thought of his options. On the one hand, he could ignore the council and wait for the ANBU to come. Suicide. On the other hand, he could comply with their wishes, and leave. Naruto shook his head. That wasn't a choice at all.

Naruto tried to think of the way his decision would impact his friends. If he died, it would break their hearts. But if he left, at least they'd know there was a chance he'd survive. Naruto sighed. Caring for his friends, right to the very end.

Naruto ran across the rooftops to get to his apartment. If he was going to leave, he might as well do it sooner rather than later. Feeling dead inside, Naruto packed some clothes, about a week's worth of food, and his ninja tools into a small bag. With a final, parting look at his apartment, he walked out the door for the last time.

The crowds ignored him, as per usual. A few spit at him, but that was routine. For all they knew, Naruto was just going for a stroll. When Naruto reached the gates, he stood still. He turned to gaze at the village that was his home. He stared at the mountainside with regret. It seemed like his face would never adorn it. With tears flowing silently down his face, Naruto stepped outside the village borders and into the cold, unforgiving world.

* * *

It wasn't that bad. Naruto walked through the woods, enjoying the scenery. Occasionally there were slip-ups. He would spot a rare bird, and would try to point it out to someone, only to realize that he was on his own. But for the most part, Naruto tried not to think of what had happened or where he was going. He just tried to live in the moment.

Naruto happened upon a gentle river, and the scene was so beautiful that he decided to just stop there and enjoy it. Naruto became acutely aware of the dirt on his skin. He tried to remember the last time he'd taken a shower. He showered irregularly as it was, what with the landlord overcharging on the water bill. What with all the craziness he'd been through, it had probably been at least a week.

Naruto quickly removed all his clothes, until he was in nothing but his boxers. Then he had an impulse. Since he was officially on his own, who did he have to worry about watching him? With a flick, Naruto slipped out of his boxers and jumped into the river.

Naruto found that skinny dipping was very different from regular swimming. The water hit you differently in your… area. It was very enjoyable. Naruto washed himself, and then afterwards swam around for fun. When he got out, he had another childish wish. Why get his clothes wet?

Naruto sat down cross-legged on a rock, stark raving naked. It was a very freeing experience. Feeling every touch and whisper of nature on your bare skin, from your neck to your dick. Naruto smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be that bad. Sure, he wouldn't have friends, but that had been his normal way of existence a year back.

Naruto breathed in the crisp air. Yep. He could live like this. In an effort to soak up the scene further, Naruto tried meditation for the first time. Naruto closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He tried to block out all unnecessary thoughts. Just breathe in, breathe out.

Over time, Naruto grew more and more relaxed. He barely even noticed his nudity. Man had started out with no clothes, so why should he worry over it. Naruto kept feeling more and more at peace, his body slowly fading away from his conscious mind…

* * *

The next thing Naruto was aware of was cold water. He opened his eyes. He was in a sewer. Naruto stood up, and recognized the place. It was his mindscape. Unsure of what else to do, Naruto walked until he came to a turn. He followed it until he came to the chamber with the cage.

Naruto noticed two major changes since his last visit. First, the Fox wasn't just a mass of energy with a face. He was a fully-fledged 100 story fox, with nine tails waving behind him. The second change was that the ceiling was made out of clouds.

Naruto craned his neck back to get the full-view. Where once there was blackness, there was a solid layer of clouds. Not only that, but the clouds had a strange luminescence, as if they were covering the sun. Naruto's neck snapped down to the cage when the Fox made a remark in his thunderous voice. **"For evil's sake boy, cover up! I don't appreciate you waving your dick in my face!"**

Naruto was about to respond in kind when the clouds parted. Naruto gasped as a being that seemed to be made from pure light descended. It wasn't until the being was floating in front of the Fox's cage that Naruto made it out clearly.

It was a man with hair the color of white gold reaching towards his waist. Except for an elaborate loin cloth made of some white material, he was naked. And what a body he had. Naruto was definitely not gay, but the word that jumped to mind was beautiful. Muscles like a statue of some forgotten god of masculinity.

But the most noticeable thing about this creature was what protruded from his back. Three pairs of wings, each of them as beautiful as a dove's. The man had eyes a shade darker than his hair. When he spoke, Naruto felt the same thunder in his bones he felt when the Nine-Tailed Fox spoke.

"_**Welcome, Naruto. I imagine you must have a lot of questions." **_All Naruto could do was nod. That voice was the voice of intimidation and command. You didn't defy a voice like that. _**"This is very complicated, so I'll start from the beginning." **_The man's brow furrowed, as if he were trying to concentrate.

"_**My name is Angelus. At the dawn of time, there were only two races that ruled the planet. The angels and the demons. The two were polar opposites, and of course there was hostility. A few small skirmishes—" **_The Fox interrupted Angelus at this remark. **"A few skirmishes? Out battles carved canyons in our respective lands!" **Angelus turned to the fox, a look of annoyance on his face.

"_**I'm trying not to make it sound too threatening! We're talking in front of an adolescent here!" **_Naruto was miffed at that. He spoke up, his respect for Angelus dwindling. "Um, excuse me, Angelus? I'm a Shinobi. I live with 'threatening' every day."

Angelus frowned, but then continued with his lecture. _**"However you wish to call it. Anyway, after a while, we realized the fighting had to stop. So we, demons and angels together, created a world to stand between our two kingdoms. We populated it with creatures that contained the best traits of both our peoples: humans."**_

Naruto frowned. "So you're saying that the planet was made to be a middleman between the two of you?" Naruto waved his hand to indicate the both of them. The Fox barked out **"Pretty much, yeah." **Naruto sighed. The Fox's direct mode of speaking could get grating on the nerves.

Angelus was about to start talking again, but Naruto interrupted him. "Excuse me, not that I don't mind the history lesson, but what does that have to do with you being here, or that weird chakra I used to beat Sasuke?" Angelus grunted. _**"I was getting to that part."**_

"_**So, anyway, we angels grew more and more fascinated by what we had created, while demons were just upset by all the extra ground to cover if they wished to fight us. We started venturing down to Earth, learning how you humans lived. You are an interesting people, so full of both light and dark. Your proficiency at channeling chakra is most fascinating."**_

"_**One night, an ambitious young angel went a little bit closer than the rest of us did. He bedded one of your women. No one would have cared unduly had not the woman became pregnant." **_Naruto gasped. He could see where this was going. _**"Interaction with your kind was banned, to the most trivial level."**_

"_**The woman gave birth to a handsome baby boy. He had blond hair and beautiful blue eyes." **_Naruto noticed a slight hesitation in Angelus' speech, but it smoothed over. _**"As the boy grew, it became apparent that he was not ordinary. His chakra reserves were unparalleled, and he had a limitless capacity for knowledge. You humans were just forming your countries and ninja villages. This man, whose name has been lost, quickly became one of the best and brightest in the Land of Fire."**_

Angelus turned to face Naruto then. _**"His bloodline survived through the years, leading up to a man named Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of your village. That man was your father." **_Naruto's world was turned upside-down. His father? A Hokage? _The_ Fourth Hokage? Naruto suddenly understood why the Old Man Hokage had always said he looked a lot like the Fourth.

The fox spoke up. **"Excuse me, Mr. High and Mighty. I've been imprisoned in this kid's body for thirteen years. I think I would have noticed if he was a descendent of your kind!" **Angelus turned to face the Fox. _**"The bloodline grew fainter and fainter with each generation. You didn't notice until Naruto here finally claimed his birthright."**_

In a flash, the dots connected for Naruto. "Wait a minute, hold up! You're saying that I'm some sort of half-angel _and_ the container for this annoying fox?!" Angelus shrugged. _**"Pretty much, yeah." **_Naruto sighed. It appeared that Angelus could be just as forward as the Fox at times.

Naruto looked at the scene with new eyes. An angel living inside him side by side with the lord of all demons. This would be interesting. "So that was you that gave me that power at the Final Valley?" Angelus shook his head, but he wasn't giving away any explanations. You could tell by the sly grin on his face that said "Figure it out for yourself."

Naruto sat down. It was too much at once. "So where does that leave me now?" Angelus shrugged. _**"Well, for starters, you can put on some clothes. Even I'm not butt-naked." **_**"That's what I said," **the Fox said, and for a moment, the two of them had a moment of similarity. But then it passed.

"_**Here,"**_ Angelus said, waving a hand in Naruto's general direction. In a flash of light, Naruto was wearing some billowy boxers made from the same material as Angelus' loincloth. It felt like silk, only softer and more airy. Naruto stood up. It was as if he weren't even wearing anything.

"_**That's better. Don't get me wrong, clothes are by and large most important to humans than any other species. But we don't just parade around naked." **_Naruto scowled. So he'd had a nudity kick. So what! He would have continued with this strange and enlightening conversation had he not been brought most forcefully to the real world by a kunai in his chest.

* * *

Naruto's eyes flew open, instantly turning to the blade sticking straight out of his heart. The wound was undoubtedly fatal. "Good shot," a voice said, capturing Naruto's attention. Three ANBU appeared in his little clearing, the one in the lead obviously the one who had hit Naruto.

The man spoke the way a king would speak to a beggar. "Killed within the first three hours of your exile. I think that's a first. Other rogues at least manage a few days. But then again, demons don't have the best karma." Even though his face was masked, Naruto could sense that the man was grinning.

Naruto grasped the kunai, swallowing a cry of pain as it came out. If he was going to die, he would take down of many of them as he could. But the ANBU gasped, as if they were seeing a miracle. Naruto looked at his wound, which was rapidly disappearing. The blood was being sucked back in, and the wound knit itself closed quickly when the vital fluid was back inside. All that remained was a dull scar, as if the wound was years old.

Naruto knew that the Fox afforded him some kind of super-healing. But with two all-powerful beings inside him, it seemed as if he had a team of invisible miracle-scientists following him wherever he went. Naruto grinned. The ANBU didn't look so scary anymore.

Naruto charged forward, the element of surprise giving him another advantage. But the ANBU were highly trained, and they soon recovered. Naruto instantly revised his thoughts. What good was healing if you died before it started? The three ANBU worked like a single, deadly organism. If he wasn't getting barbequed by a fire jutsu, he was being skewered by shurikan and kunai.

Naruto was down in seconds, the bloody kunai still clutched in his hand, unused. Naruto couldn't move. His muscles were torn from all the weapons, and the healing couldn't begin until they were out. Naruto felt the darkness coming again. The ANBU had a little chuckle over his demise. "Not so tough, are you, demon?" one of them remarked.

The word reminded Naruto of his mental inhabitant. He silently shouted in his head _Hey, where are you when I need you? Give me some chakra!_ Naruto waited a few seconds, and felt a little closer to death, when it came.

The acidic power of the Nine-Tailed Fox flowed through Naruto, in a much greater quantity than Naruto had anticipated. Naruto felt the chakra mold itself into a cloak, just as it had done during his fight with Sasuke. Only this time, there were two tails.

Naruto watched as the ninja tools flew away from his body, hurled by the great energy Naruto now had at his command. He felt the strength associated with the chakra flow through him, making his limbs feel like they could move mountains. But there was one crucial difference.

It didn't hurt. Naruto didn't feel the burning pain as the chakra roamed his skin. He didn't feel it hijack his brain, reducing higher brain functions, making him rely more on instinct. Naruto looked at the ANBU, who by now were seriously freaked out. Ah, well. He could puzzle it out later. Right now he had a job to do.

Naruto flashed forward, going onto all fours as he moved. Naruto took out the first one with a brutal mauling with his now claw-like fingernails. Naruto noticed the others running, so he molded his tails into hands and grabbed the two.

Naruto squeezed the one in his left claw, but held onto the other, who was the leader that had leaded the assault. Naruto walked up to him, looking him straight in the eyes. He was about to stab the leader's own kunai into his heart when he saw his reflection in the man's eyes.

Naruto saw a monster with blood-red eyes, wild hair, darkened whisker-marks, and huge canines. It stopped Naruto dead. Sure, these men had tried to kill him, but they were just tools. The Council had ordered them to hunt Naruto down. They were simply following orders.

Naruto, though sorely tempted to finish the deed, let go of the leader, dispelling the Fox's chakra as he did so. "Go," was all he said, and the leader complied, running away screaming at the top of his lungs. Naruto looked down at himself and realized that the boxers Angelus had given him didn't have one scratch. Or a bloodstain. He wondered what it was.

Then Naruto returned focus to the matter at hand. Naruto quietly dragged the bodies into the forest, and then covered them with rocks. Naruto didn't know why he buried them. It must have been the realization that he had just robbed two families of the ones they loved. After he finished, Naruto returned to the stream, and meditated again.

Naruto wasted no time in going to the cage. Angelus and the Fox seemed to be ignoring each other. The Fox was at the back of his cage and Angelus was in his lofty perch. They both came forward when Naruto approached.

"I'm going to ask two questions before you both start yammering. One, why did you send so much chakra, Fox? And two, how come it didn't take over like it did before?" The Fox had a genuine look of confusion on his face. Then again, Naruto wasn't an expert on fox facial features.

"**I'm not going to answer those simply because I don't know. I only sent a little, but it multiplied before my eyes." **Naruto turned to Angelus, who was inspecting a wing for dust. When he finished, he spoke.

"_**The thing, Naruto, is that angels are like a magnifying glass for chakra. That's how out our soldier's work. Each angel amplifying the powers of the one next to him. It's quite a clever system really. Anyway, now that you've embraced your heritage, you've turned into a magnifying glass yourself."**_

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, embracing my heritage? That angel chakra came out of nowhere. And how does that explain how it didn't hurt?" Angelus sighed. _**"I'd hoped to give out my information gradually, but apparently you lead a fast-paced life. Okay, here it goes."**_

"_**Early in their lives, we angels are ordinary, just like you humans. Then, there comes a moment that we call 'the spark.' We angels have a determination to help others that is almost genetic. That's why we're seen as protectors. 'The spark' is the moment when they truly become selfless to save another."**_

"_**That was what you did with your friend Sasuke. Admittedly, 'the spark' comes under less drastic measures, but since you're a half-breed, it must have taken more dire situations. Either way, when you decided that you'd never give up in order to keep your promise, you got 'the spark.' That's what I meant by embracing your heritage."**_

"_**To answer the second question, angels are incredibly resilient. The only to kill us is to chop out heads cleanly off. Combine that to the Fox's natural healing, and you're basically invincible. Your normal human self couldn't defend against the Fox's chakra, but now that your angel half has been unlocked, your skin is immune to all the side effects of using it. That will probably help you stay alive a good ten years longer."**_

Naruto was beyond amazement by this point. "How come I couldn't tap into that angel chakra when I was being attacked, huh? And while we're at it, what _are_ you doing in my body?" Angelus sighed again, this time even more deeply.

"_**As far as the chakra is concerned, your body already has natural human chakra in it. Plus you have the Fox at the center of your system. Calling on your angel chakra is like trying to grab your friend in a crowded room blindfolded. You'll need intense concentration and training."**_

"_**And what I'm doing here…" **_Angelus slumped his shoulders, as if he'd lost all strength in his back. _**"After 'the spark', young angels are assigned a mentor from the angels of the past. They guide them until their full potential is reached." **_

Naruto paled. "Angels of the past?" Angelus had a look of pain and longing on his face, staring at his own body. Angelus looked Naruto in the eyes, and then snapped. For a second, the perfect body disappeared, revealing a skeleton that seemed a thousand years old, with dried wing carcasses on its back.

Naruto screamed in horror. Then the terrifying cadaver was gone, replaced with Angelus. A look of humiliation and sadness on his face. _**"Would you want **_**that**_** to be following you around everywhere? We mentors travel in our charges minds. That way, we can disguise ourselves as we used to be."**_

Naruto was silent. Finally he spoke. "What do we all do know? I have a feeling another ANBU team is just waiting in the wings." The Fox glared. **"Us all? What do you mean. I'm the prisoner. I don't have any say in this." **In response to this, Naruto got that look on his face that usually preceded a reckless and incredibly stupid act. "Not anymore," Naruto said. With that, he jumped up and completely peeled off the strip of paper holding the cages doors closed.

* * *

**Hope you enjoy this. Review. Bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I would like to formally announce that the age of me waiting 4-5 months to update anything is over. Now I will write at every free moment.**

**Something I'd like to go over: To those who think I over-did it on the whole 'nudity' thing, I was trying to stress that even though Naruto is soon going to be some God-level badass who's a human/demon/angel tri-breed, he's still just a kid. He can be reckless and impulsive.**

**Anyway, here is the long-forgotten chapter two to 3H. Enjoy and review. Ja ne!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It's all given to me by my parents.**

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

'**Demon Thoughts'**

"**Demon Speech"**

'_**Angel Thoughts'**_

"_**Angel Speech"**_

**Jutsu**

* * *

Naruto felt it the instant the seal was torn off. Pain. Mind-numbing, heart-stopping pain. And lying underneath the pain, a power so intense and massive, Naruto wondered how it had possibly all been contained within him. He'd always heard of how the Kyuubi could crush mountains with one flick of its many tails. Now those stories didn't seem like exaggerations.

Naruto felt as if every single part of his body was flooded with this burning power. It pushed against every opening to the outside. Every single access outside of Naruto's body, from his hair follicles to his toenails, was pushed and shoved open by what felt like a billion angry ants whose nest had been trampled on. With every one of those ants having the power of a Kage. They struggled with inhuman energy to escape Naruto's body and drown the outside world with their power.

But Naruto held them back.

From the day of his birth onward, Naruto had been tortured and abused by the hate-driven villagers of Konohagakure no Sato. He had been kicked, punched, stabbed, insulted, burned, choked, drowned, raped, and generally shit on his entire life. He could have been the poster-child for painful lives. He could easily have turned into a sociopath even worse than Gaara, massacring every living thing that came his way in an effort to make the world feel just a sliver of the pain he felt.

But he didn't.

He went to the Academy even with his cuts still bleeding. He went to Ichiraku's even when every inch of his skin was flayed. He pulled pranks on the Sandaime Hokage even with two broken arms. And he did it all with a smile on his face. It wasn't a mask; it was his incorruptible nature, his inborn drive to do well.

So he pushed back against the power.

Every single drop of power, he contained within his frail, human body. Every second was life-extinguishing agony, every second like dying in the most painful way over and over again in a loop. But Naruto didn't complain or scream. His twelve years as a Jinchuuriki had desensitized him. This power coursing through him, violently trying to escape, was merely every single discomfort he ever felt happening all at once. And he took it.

Naruto had an iron will, and his spirit was as hard as diamond. He took every single drop of power and contained it within him. Because he knew that if he let even the smallest amount escape, the rest would follow, killing him and the rest of the world shortly after. He wanted Kyuubi to be free of the seal. It was only fair, after years of being forced to stay inside his puny body. But he didn't want him out into the real world.

How long Naruto sat there, clashed in an insane battle of wills with Kyuubi, he didn't know. It could have been a second or an eternity. But in an instant that was like the coldest water against a burning throat down into a dried stomach, the pain stopped. Naruto opened his eyes, and saw the world for the first time.

It was as if a smothering blanket had been wrapped his senses for his entire life. Now it was gone. Naruto was amazed at his new take on the world. His eyesight was… enlightening. He could look at a tree across the river, and see the individual grains that made up the bark. He could also see the hawk 100 meters away, flapping its wings, as if it were only a few feet away.

He could smell the herd of dear a 100 meters to his left; smell their musk and the sweet smell of their meat. He could smell the grass beneath him and all the little life-forms that lived inside their stalks. He could hear _everything_. From the silent hiss of a tree breathing out oxygen to the gasping of a fish to the rustling of leaves caused by a lone wolf out early to catch the swiftly setting sun.

But the most amazing was his sense of touch.

He placed a hand on the ground to get up, and through his hand felt the subterranean tunnels caused by little insects and moles, as well as every hair on every stalk of grass. He could fell the minute zephyrs and currents in the air against his skin, feel every thread of the boxers Angelus had given him, and strangely, they felt like nothing but woven air, as if the dead Tenshi (angel) had taken wind and turned it into fabric.

Naruto walked over to the river, every movement a tsunami of sensory information, and looked at his reflection. Even with his super-eyesight, he couldn't see any difference. Maybe his face was a tad more angular, or his skin a shade darker, or his whiskers a millimeter thicker. Or it could have just been his imagination. Naruto was honestly a bit confused; he thought that releasing the seal but keeping Kyuubi inside would have _some_ effect on his appearance, not that he was complaining that he was still the same. It seemed as though all the changes had happened with his brain.

Naruto would have continued to relish in his enhanced senses, had he not been forcibly summoned to his mindscape. Naruto almost got whiplash from the sudden change in location, but he recovered quickly, only to find himself in a part of his mindscape he didn't recognize. It still had water that reached his calves and was reminiscent of a sewer, so he knew it was the mindscape. But the layout of the room was baffling and unfamiliar.

It looked like the brain-child of a throne room and the Coliseum. At the end of the room, a massive, but Spartan, stone throne was flanked by columns that reached to the walls. In the gaps between the columns, torches burned, in an alternating pattern of a strange white fire and a dark red that resembled a burning cloud of blood in gas form.

In the middle of the room there was an empty pit that looked like a drained swimming pool, except there was a steel grate covering it and the grate had foot-long spikes on the depressed side. On the sides of the pit, multi-tiered stands sat, devoid of any decoration or life. They could have easily seated 10,000 people.

The roof was nothing but the same shining clouds that hid Angelus, who was floating right above the throne. And sitting in the throne, was a man. A man with crimson hair, red eyes with slits for pupils, claws on his hands and bare feet. A man who wore the garb of a warrior king, all flashy plate armor and intimidating weapons. A man who had nine red fox-tails waving behind him with fox ears.

Naruto knew without a doubt that this was the human version of Kyuubi. And he looked at once extraordinarily furious and extraordinarily pleased. He opened his mouth and spoke in Kyuubi's thunderous voice. **"Come forward, kit. I want a closer look at you before I decide whether or not to beat you to within an inch of your life."**

Naruto was impressed, but unafraid. This was _his_ mind, after all. He couldn't die unless he wanted to. But now Naruto realized that there was another facet to Kyuubi's title as King of the Bijuu. He was not only the most powerful of the Bijuu, but the most confident. With his regal bearing and tone, he practically radiated command.

Naruto walked toward the plain throne, crossing across the grate as he did so. Naruto looked down into the pit as he walked by. He wouldn't want to get stuck in there. The pit was too deep to climb out of, and even if he got that high, the spikes would impale him before he could open the as-of-yet undiscovered exit.

When Naruto reached the Kyuubi in his throne, with Angelus in his blinding glory hovering above him, he had to suppress the urge to bow. Kyuubi was bad enough, but Angelus was like a divine judge, literally, who with a word could banish him either to the paradise of Heaven where the Kami would watch over him and the rest of the world or down to the depths of Hell, just to have Kyuubi torture him for the remainder of his existence.

Kyuubi looked him over with a calculating glare, never moving an inch from his uncomfortable throne. Naruto noticed that Angelus was looking at him with… well, it couldn't be admiration. He seemed to be above such trivial concepts. But there was certainly approval of something, but what Naruto couldn't fathom.

Finally, Kyuubi finished his subtle inspection. **"Do you have any idea what you did when you removed that seal?"** Naruto honestly thought it over, but he had no idea of what the ramifications could be, so he shook his head, still too intimidated to speak. Kyuubi said, as if he were discussing the weather, **"You turned yourself into potentially the most powerful being to walk the planet and beyond."**

It took a second to click, during which time there was total silence. Kyuubi watched with superior amusement, while Angelus studied Naruto for his reaction. Then Naruto yelled, in a voice that shook the foundations of the room, "WHAT!!!!!!!!"

Kyuubi chuckled, like a royal at a commoner's antics, while Angelus had to hide his shiver of fear at the sheer level of sound that the five-foot blond could produce. When all of their ears had stopped ringing, and the dust had settled to the ground, Naruto asked again "What?"

Angelus decided to answer, as Kyuubi was still caught up in his cackles. _**"When the seal was released, instead of dying and letting this egotistical Kitsune back into the world, you kept all of his power inside, until your very DNA adapted to it. So, effectively, you are now both a Nephilim and a Hanyou. Or, one part angel, one part human, and one part demon."**_

Naruto's jaw dropped as far as was physically possible, to the point that he could have fit an entire coconut in his mouth. Eventually, he regained the power of speech. "Are you kidding me? All I wanted was to have Kyuubi stop whining about being stuck in that cage. Now he tells me I'm going to be the biggest badass ever, and you tell me I'm some weird tri-breed?"

Kyuubi had finally stopped laughing. **"This is what happens when you don't think things through. It sets of a domino effect. But let me just make one thing clear: you are one of five beings that ever existed to hold my respect. You were nothing but a pathetic human, albeit with a few strands of sickening Tenshi** **DNA in you. And yet you managed to contain me inside your frail body, through the sheer power of your will. And I was literally fighting tooth and claw. So, you beat me, and for that I respect you."**

Naruto looked shocked. "Wow, Kyuubi. That was the nicest thing you ever said to me. Thank you." Faster than the eye could see, Naruto was hugging Kyuubi. Who, discovering what Naruto was doing, flung him into the other side of the room, leaving a boy-shaped crater as he fell to the ground.

"**Don't you dare do that repulsive gesture again! Respect and personal friendship are two VERY different things. You ever try to do that act again, short of you having managed to not turn into a stuck-up prick after spending a few years in the company of a hundred Tenshi, I'll rip off all of your appendages save your head, which I'd then use as a foot stool!"**

Naruto had managed to stop paying attention to the pretty stars long enough to hear Kyuubi's tirade, and managed a groggy "Yes, Kyuubi-sama. Won't happen again." After a few minutes, the blond had managed to get back up and walk back to the throne. When he got there, he asked a question that would change his life permanently, though he didn't know it at the time. "But if I'm a hanyou, or even a nephilim or whatever, how come I still look human?"

Kyuubi went back into his sadistic cackles, while Angelus revealed his laugh, which started out with a series of incredibly girly giggles, before rapidly going down the pitch spectrum to settle on a bunch of loud baritone guffaws. Listening to the two at the same time was enough to make Lee and Gai with their _manly_ hugs and patented **Sunset and the Sea** genjutsu quail in soul-decaying terror. Naruto could literally feel himself crossing the bridge between life and death from listening to the synchronized expressions of amusement.

But luckily for Naruto, Angelus could tell that Naruto was suffering, so he stopped with his odd two-tone laugh. Kyuubi was still cackling like a mad scientist, but him alone wasn't bad enough to eject Naruto from the world of the living. And after a few minutes, even that stopped, to be left with a pregnant, ominous silence. Naruto, as per usual, broke it.

"So, why _do_ I still look human?" Kyuubi, instead of laughing, smiled so wide and so fiendishly, Naruto was surprised that anime horns and cheesy fire didn't appear on his person. As it was, the Kyuubi not willing to submit to the eccentricities of the anime world, the impossibly colored flames merely flared briefly.

"**You didn't think that I would just **_**let**_** you take in my power down to the molecular level, did you. You got enough Yokai (demonic chakra) into your system to turn into a Hanyou, but once I realized I was fighting a lost battle, I held back the real juicy bits of my chakra."** Naruto cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. "What does that mean?"

Another shit-eating grin. **"You're gonna have to earn my power, the old-fashioned way. You call a challenge, and I accept it. You win, you gain one of my tails, and consequently a helluva lot more power and demonic rank. Lose…"** The Kyuubi trailed off, giving Naruto a chance to imagine what dark deeds the demon king would do. **"So it really comes down to how much you believe you've improved when you decide to challenge me."**

A crucial part of Kyuubi's explanation slid into place in Naruto's mind. "Wait, wait, wait… tails? You mean I'm going to grow _tails_?" Naruto looked behind him, as if expecting to find a fox appendage waving behind him. Angelus tactlessly interjected, forgetting for a second that Naruto hadn't even heard about his angelic transformations. _**"Don't make such a big deal out of it. You're going to grow wings too."**_

At this, Naruto turned to stare at the resurrected Tenshi, so fast that his body was spun around on its heel by the momentum, leading to Naruto falling on his rump in filthy water. Not that he cared, too occupied with gawking at the Tenshi who had just realized his mistake. Angelus decided that he might as well get out his lecture while Naruto was still in a shocked silence.

"_**Don't forget, you were a Nephilim your whole life. You just didn't access your powers until now. The fact that a sizable chunk of your genetic code is now full to the brim with Kyuubi's taint doesn't change that." **_Kyuubi scoffed at the Tenshi's disregard for his regal blood. Angelus went on, pretending to not have heard.

"_**The 'spark' is just the first step. After that, you grow a set of wings once you reach a certain level. The most wings ever achieved belonged to a hermit who was born before we even knew about demons and Hell. He even was King for a while, before he proclaimed the job too constricting for a man of his nature. I believe he had four pairs, which seems to be the largest number our kind can have, the same way Kyuubi can go no higher than nine tails."**_

Naruto shook his head, as if trying to clear all these incredible notions from his head. "How is this even possible? You two said so yourselves, your kind kill each other. I shouldn't even be alive. Kyuubi's chakra should have killed off my Tenshi side, or my Tenshi side should have killed of Kyuubi while I was growing up. Instead, you are telling me that I might grow eight wings, frickin' _wings _that have feathers and let me fly, while Kyuubi says I could grow nine tails, frickin' _tails_ that swish and have fur on them. This is too much. I can't take this. I'm a freak of nature, not the most powerful being ever seen."

While the villagers hate had made him strong, strong enough to win a battle of wills with Kyuubi, and his soul was clean as a mountain's air from his Tenshi blood, that wasn't to say that Naruto hadn't been scared. And his psyche simply couldn't take all of this at once. His soul was incorruptible, but his mind was frail. And it was finally cracking, leaving Naruto to sink in depression and thoughts of suicide.

Kyuubi was at a lost at what to do; his skills laid in breaking minds, not healing them. And he was still having trouble, even after thirteen years, with the fact that humans weren't useless insects only good for food, since an 'insect' could hardly have trapped him away in one of its own. His knowledge was great, but it did not even remotely extend into human psychology.

Angelus, however, wasn't a Tenshi for nothing. The current King had assigned him to train and protect Naruto, and he did not intend to fail. So, adopting a comforting tone that was familiar and well-used, Angelus tried to soothe the strained mind of his erstwhile charge.

"_**Naruto, you are not a freak of nature. You are anything but. You were born with the blood of a Tenshi, and that means that no matter what, you are inherently good. Kyuubi was merely a prisoner in your mind; he existing within you had no effect on you whatsoever. When you felt the 'spark', was it not as if some divine being had puffed up your chest?"**_

Naruto could only nod. He had never felt better after using that chakra. It was as if for the first time in his life, he had been wanted by someone. It was comparable only to the kiss on the forehead Tsunade had given him after he fought Kabuto, only a thousand times more comforting.

"_**Naruto, do you not realize how incredible the act you just did is? You defeated the most powerful Bijuu through sheer willpower. Though his powers are barely on par with even the weakest Kami, it is still inconceivable that a human could defeat him in any way, shape, or form. And now you have Yokai in your very DNA. If you were a direct Tenshi-Demon cross, yes, you would be torn even down to the cellular level."**_

"_**But your human part saved you. In the greater scheme of things, humans really aren't that significant. But in this case it was the most important. Your human DNA managed to act like a 'buffer' between your Bijuu and Tenshi DNA. You being human has allowed you to merge the two greatest species in a non-harmful way."**_

"_**You truly are the best of both worlds, Naruto. You are both a Nephilim and a Hanyou. Yokai is no longer acidic; Ten'yuu (angel chakra, literally 'divine grace' to you knit-picks out there) is no longer unmanageable."**_ At Naruto's confused expression, Angelus elaborated. _**"I told you that Tenshi are like magnifiers. Because of that, our Ten'yuu was always too large to harness. We got by in through directing raw Ten'yuu alone, more like firing a laser than anything else."**_

"_**But demons and especially Bijuu have exemplary control of their power. Technically, they are really just beings of pure chakra that has solidified into flesh and blood. They can control their power very effectively, so long as they can withstand the pain from the Yokai backlash. Being a Hanyou, your control is now automatically good. And this skill negated your natural inability to use chakra."**_

"_**Do you finally realize what you are, Naruto? You are truly, idealistically at least, the most powerful being there is. You have the stores of both a Tenshi and a demon, a Bijuu no less. You do not suffer the pain of using Yokai and you can wield Ten'yuu as easily as human chakra. Your wings and tails will just be symbols of that power, objects that show rank and ability. If you fear they will steal your humanity, just remember that it was your humanity itself that allowed you to bear these gifts. No matter how many feathers grow out your back or how much fur grows out your rump, underneath it all you are human."**_

Naruto, and more importantly his subconscious mind, was greatly relieved and brightened by Angelus's words. After a few moments of coming to terms with the fact that growing up to seventeen extra appendages was inevitable, the excitement he had had in discovering his powers returned, in full force.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, where am I going to train? With ANBU tracking me, I don't think the entire Hi no Kuni is safe. Plus, I have a weird feeling that you two have a specific place in mind." This hunch was only strengthened by Angelus's embarrassed shrug and Kyuubi's resumed cackling. _Seriously_, that laugh was freaky.

Kyuubi spoke after his spine-chilling laughter had dissipated. **"I'm going to be perfectly straight here: I want to train you in Makai (Hell), and the sophisticated prissy floating above me making death glares wants to train you in Hebun (Heaven)."** Naruto cocked an eyebrow, by now desensitized enough to not be too shocked by the desired locations. "And how exactly am I supposed to go to those places?"

Kyuubi grinned at the lack of yelling; seriously, the boy could be loud. **"To get to Makai, you must dive into a volcano and reach its heart, where you must release some Yokai to open a portal. You'll find yourself in Makai. To get to your ancestor's home, you must climb to the top of a mountain, jump as close to the clouds as you can, and release some Ten'yuu. You'll find yourself in Hebun."**

Naruto nodded; the entry points matched up with what little folklore he knew. "Which place do I go to first?" Angelus answered, having planned it out while Naruto and Kyuubi were talking. _**"It would be best to go to Makai first. If you trained as a Nephilim first, the demons in Makai would kill you on sight, just for looking like a Tenshi. However, my people know that the Kyuubi wouldn't blindly attack Hebun, even in the deepest depths of his madness. They would hear out your story and let you in as the first Nephilim to enter Hebun with open arms, even if you possessed all nine tails at the time."**_

Kyuubi scowled. **"It wasn't madness. It was a battle high that lingered for a while, that's all. Another century and I would have been as docile as a kitten. Not really, but you know what I mean. But **_**one**_** slip-up involving a snake and my privates, and **_**everyone**_** thinks I'm a murderous, raving beast. Kitsune are regal animals, not dumb brutes."**

Naruto, who felt that Kyuubi was about to go on a roll, and quite frankly didn't want to find out which experience Kyuubi was referring to, interrupted with "No offense, Kyuubi, but can you shut up and point me to the nearest volcano? I want to get this started." Already there was a sadistic gleam in Naruto's eyes that displayed what he imagined he could do as a fully trained Hanyou. Angelus was slightly alarmed, but let it go. Naruto could be a total sadomasochist with a superiority complex exceeding those of the Uchiha's, but his Tenshi blood would still show through.

By way of answer, Naruto was ejected from his mindscape, with Kyuubi whispering in his head **"Go northwest, towards Tsuchi no Kuni. You'll find some promising specimens there."** Naruto took a moment to get acquainted with the compass rose, and then ran off towards the border at a light jog. Or at least that's what it was meant to be.

Naruto took off at speeds that were slightly faster than Lee without his weights. Meaning, faster than any human being was meant to naturally move. Naruto exerted no more effort than he would on a warm-up run, yet the ground moved under his bare feet as if some Kami had, for the sake of his or her amusement, pulled out the Earth's skin like a carpet from under them. And at the same time, he was aware of every pigment of color, every vibration of sound, and every iota of the feel of the air and ground as if they had been branded into his brain by Ibiki with a red-hot poker in a bad mood.

Naruto didn't have to work to avoid the trees; his body moved of its own accord, picking the best route through the forest. (If you've read Breaking Dawn, yes, it is exactly like Bella's first hunt.) Naruto was, quite simply, overjoyed by the rush. Deciding to take it one step, or ten, higher, Naruto exerted himself as if he were in a timed sprint. _Fast_ seemed to be too narrow a focus to describe the speed. Suffice to say, the slipstream dragged 100-year old oaks out of the ground like saplings.

Kyuubi was too busy reveling in the second-hand sensation of speed to remark that Naruto was making it extraordinarily easy for people to see where he had been, while Angelus was simply too well mannered to interfere with Naruto's fun. In this fashion, the young tri-breed and his two internal companions reached the ring of volcanoes that marked the boundary between Iwa and Konoha in a little over an hour.

Naruto ground to a stop, and in so doing allowed over a ton of built-up speed and slipstream collide with him. Naruto fell head-over-heel for nearly a kilometer before he could bring himself to a halt. To a curious onlooker, it looked like Tsunade had punched him after opening the first two Inner Gates. His skin showed first-degree burns from the friction, and his hair was a mess after being dragged through the foliage. The boxers Angelus had conjured him had somehow remained spotless.

Naruto opened his inner ears after dusting himself off, and, for the second time in his life, heard the dual-laughter of Kyuubi and Angelus. After a full minute of having Naruto's soul squirm like a slug hit with salt, they subsided enough for Kyuubi to form a coherent sentence. **'Nice speed, kit. But you have **_**got**_** to work on your stopping skills!'**

Naruto shook his head, and started to walk towards the nearest volcano on the Konoha side. His Hanyou transformation had toughened his skin somewhat, naturally without forming calluses, and he found he was able to grip the harsh grass and sharp rocks of the volcano without suffering from scrapes or bruises. Another's hour's exertion brought him to the lip of the volcano, whereupon he looked down into its fiery depths, which looked for the entire world like the forge of some colossal weapon smith, filled with molten iron ready to be molded into something.

After a few minutes of getting lost in the magma's swirls, Naruto cleared his mental throat and asked _'How am I supposed to swim through that? I'm 20 meters above it, and I'm already sweating!'_ Kyuubi answered with the slow tone usually associated with a person talking to a young child or a simpleton. **'You draw out some Yokai, and you dive right in. Just keep swimming down, and before you know it, you're just outside the capital of Makai, Iou, where the streets are paved with onyx and glued with blood. My kind of town.'**

Naruto wisely decided not to ask more about the 'wondrous' city of Iou (Brimstone, or more accurately Sulfur), seeing as he would be there shortly. Instead, he focused on the more obvious problem at hand. _'How do I draw out Yokai. If it's anything like Ten'yuu, I have no idea how to pull it out. And you're no longer in the seal to give it to me.'_ All Naruto heard was a mutter that sounded something like **'Stupid little kit,'** before he suddenly felt Kyuubi's power flow through him, enough to form one tail around him.

'**I may no longer be in the seal, but in case you've already forgotten, I held back most of my power. I can still hand it out if need be.'** Naruto, flexing his limbs, marveling at the sense of primal power, which kept up a constant mantra in his core about the beauty of nature and the thrill of the hunt, without the usual acidic pain, simply gave a mental shrug at Kyuubi's words. Steeling himself, noticing out of the corner of his eye some border-nin both Konoha and Iwa headed toward the volcano with panicked expressions, Naruto threw himself over the lip of the volcano and into its mouth, which swallowed him like any ol' innocent donut hole gets swallowed when an Akimichi goes by.

The first thing Naruto noticed was the temperature. It was hot, but not nearly as hot as he expected. If forced to compare it to something, Naruto would have said that it was like swimming in an onsen with a bed of hot-rocks, instead of the oven-heat and crushing embrace of the melted stone he thought he would receive. It was also very bright, like a flashlight shown in his eyes. However, noticing that the Yokai didn't filter air, only diluted the heat, Naruto started swimming downwards with comically panicked strokes.

Just when Naruto was starting to turn blue, which looked very odd inside the lava, he noticed a black void a few meters below him. Naruto, after a few more flailing kicks, sailed into it. For a moment, it felt like being squeezed through a straw that had been left in the snow for an hour, surprising Naruto, for he assumed entering the realm of fire would be characterized by burning heat.

The next instant, Naruto was above the surface. Not questioning how he had gotten there, Naruto took in grateful breaths, dog-paddling over to the lip of the pool. After resuming his natural skin color, Naruto took note of his surroundings. He was inside a small pool, barely bigger than a bathtub, except it was filled to the brim with yellowish water that was quite noticeably boiling. The pool was one of several to the side of a road that looked like it was made up of solidified ash. To Naruto's left, the road went on for 20 or 30 meters before it ended with a cul-de-sac, completely surrounded by springs like the one Naruto was in. But to his right…

Naruto could only stare.

* * *

**There it is. I pray that you like it enough to compensate for months of silence. Happy Valentine's day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Two months! A new record! Shut up and read the story. Oh, by the way, I changed the name of the demon capital from Iou to Omoi, just to shake things up.**

"Human speech"

'_Human thoughts'_

"**Demon speech/ Jutsu"**

'**Demon thoughts'**

"_**Angel speech"**_

'_**Angel thoughts'**_

* * *

Right there in front of Naruto, was the demon capital of Omoi. And it was the last thing that Naruto had expected. It was unlike any city, town, village, or generally a gathering of buildings that he had ever seen.

His old brain would have drowned in awe unable to describe, but the Hanyou tune-up allowed him more room to analyze.

It was what might happen if a skyscraper, a coral reef, and a forge got into a threesome, the coral reef got pregnant from both, and the two eggs mutated into a single embryo. Structures that all seemed to be made of some organic red-and-black stone reached up as high as mountains.

But they didn't grow straight up. At some point in all of them, they twisted to the side, slanted diagonally, or twisted back into themselves. Due to the close proximity of the pillars, this lead to them all growing into each other in convoluted knots.

Nor did they seem to have given up their ambition to keep growing taller; Naruto could see, with his new eyes, that every single building was growing; only centimeters at a time, but they were growing.

Some of the pillars were thick at the base and tapered along their contortioned length and some vice versa. Some widened in unexpected places, while ending unexpectedly in others. Some split into segments and branched off, merging with other pillars or rejoined after navigating a particular knot. Some just stood there.

The pillars were not all a uniform color, no; a million different shades could be seen of the red-black rock, from brightest scarlet to darkest maroon.

Some of the pillars seemed to be hollow, judging from the cavernous arches and mangled openings that adorned them.

Others seemed to merely be a support, with great terraces and stilts of metal attached to them, like industrial tree houses. These terraces were crowded with every stand imaginable, making Naruto think of a marketplace he had seen in a foreign film once.

And perhaps the oddest part: molten magma seemed to have grown into everything, looping around and into odd places, in a continuous stream, always running near the openings and landings. As far as Naruto could see, no one gave a damn that the stream violated every law of gravity. In fact, they seemed to use the stream as a transit system.

That's when Naruto noticed the inhabitants. Demons of every shape, size, and color clamored over, between, and in some cases above the pillars and metal terraces. Naruto took in every one.

A great many of the demons merely appeared to be larger, humanoid versions of animals Naruto had seen on earth. Naruto spied upon bird-demons, lizard-demons, jaguar-demons, and even a few turtle- and squid-demons, these especially strange to see because of the odd ways they walked.

However, there were not just animal demons. Naruto saw a plethora of demons that seemed human, except for different skin colors, or added eyes, or horns, or tentacles. These generally seemed to be the working class, while the animals were more like… celebrities. There was no other way to explain their aura.

Naruto could hear from here the pool of their many voices. They all seemed to speak his language, but the voices that spoke them were many and varied. Naruto heard sopranos, altos, baritones and tenors. He heard rasps and clicks in odd places. He heard lisps and gargles and keens and gags.

The only things that any of the myriad people seemed to have in common were the possession of at least one tail and an immunity to heat, judging by the fact that they would step onto the magma stream without any hesitation and ride the flow until it ran along some level or opening, when they stepped off, while their airborne peers merely flew in.

From the base of the pillars to the top, it seemed as if every square foot was being used or occupied by something or someone

Naruto could not find words to describe the chaotic sprawl of Omoi, except that it seemed like one, hectic organism.

'**That was the idea, actually. There's a strong sense of brotherhood among demons, despite our territorial nature that is more or less genetic. This great city, Omoi, was made to enforce that idea and let it grow.'**

Naruto could practically feel the reluctant awe in Angelus' answering thought, which was _**'I'll admit, it is impressive. I've never seen more organized chaos. Everything is bizarre and unordered, and at the same time in its place, as if it was meant to be there; A great masterpiece, considering its inhabitants.'**_

Naruto quickly decided that having two extra minds in his body was going to be a hassle, because Kyuubi's retaliatory muttering about 'prissy Tenshi that can't see true art' bothered Naruto like an itch he couldn't scratch.

Naruto was distracted, however, by the sudden arrival of a demon in the pool next to him. With a sputter, the new person leapt out of the pool, falling rather ungracefully onto the ash-like road.

Naruto discretely hid his sweatdrop.

With a huff, the demon got up and started to brush the dust off before he saw Naruto looking at him. **"What you looking at, gaki?"** the demon asked, indignation and a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

The demon had what looked like a normal human body structure, albeit with grayish-blue skin and three long, thin tails that ended with arrow-like points (Nightcrawler's tail). He seemed to be in his late-teens, though Naruto was not the best judge on demonic age groups.

He wore nothing but some ragged black pants with numerous patches and dirt-stains, with a hole at the back to give his tails some space. His hair was black and reached down to his shoulders. His bangs nearly covered his eyes, which were midnight-blue with yellow slits.

He had two thin slits for nostrils and a mouth full of serrated teeth. He was easily 6 feet tall, and had noticeable muscles, which he seemed gleefully aware of.

His arms were abnormally long, and his hands had three fingers as well as thumbs, all with long, wicked claws. His feet both had an extra toe.

His voice seemed a lot more higher-pitched than his size suggested, but Naruto, himself having a high voice, didn't comment on that.

"**I ask again; what are you looking at?"** he asked, staring Naruto down from his great height. "Nothing, I was just watching as you flopped onto the road," Naruto answered, showing his lack of respect for the newcomer, unaware that it is taboo to be so disrespectful to a demon with more tails than you do.

In an instant, Naruto found himself held above the ground by the nape of the neck, staring into the suddenly enraged face of the demon.

"**What did you say!? Those are bold words, **_**tailless**_**. I could rip you apart for insulting me like that. Wait,"** the demon said, staring at Naruto with mounting incredulity and, behind that, hate. **"You! You're a human! Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you, ape!"**

Naruto might have felt a sliver of fear, had not Kyuubi whispered to him what to say to calm down this new threat. Clearing his throat, Naruto said "What would the Kitsune clan do when they found out that you killed the avatar of their leader, _Hellborn_?"

The demon let go of Naruto as if he had been electrocuted. Naruto landed on his feet and looked up at his would-be assailant. **"Who are you to say that? What prove do you have that your claim is true?"** the demon asked, looking as if he couldn't decide to be mad or afraid.

In answer, Naruto concentrated on himself, feeling the flow of chakra within him. It was like a stream, smooth and calm. The sweet blue of the normal chakra was relaxed, no more concerned with things other than just flowing along.

With a great deal of effort, Naruto looked beyond that, and felt/saw the animalistic red of Kyuubi's yokai. It was a wild river filled with rapids, and Naruto sensed that the yokai was more about the primal flow of life than the calm state of being chakra gave off.

Drawing on that wild current, Naruto let it flare around him, forming it into an image of Kyuubi's head. The display was brief, but sudden.

In the instant that he let the yokai return to him, Naruto got the distinct feeling that he had grown taller, considering how the demon was now bowing and scraping and basically groveling that he wouldn't kill him.

"**I am so sorry, Kyuubi-sama! I should have known it wasn't a human, only demons can get here, after all. I beg you; don't kill me for insulting you in this most egregious manner!"**

**It's just that you look so different in this form that I could not see that you were the most eminent and praised Kitsune Lord! It's so obvious; I can feel your great power still! If you can find in your heart even the tiniest sliver of mercy, I ask that you kill me painlessly for this great offense!"**

Naruto felt a little awkward seeing the obviously powerful giant begging to him to spare his life. He had seriously underestimated how much precedence and respect was given to Kyuubi.

"What is your name?" Naruto asked, interrupting the demon in the middle a long, drawn-out list of 'his' many accomplishments. The demon answered, with a glimmer of hope in his eye, **"My name, o Master of All that Breathes, is Zaro, son of Turo, and I am but a humble three-tail that makes his pathetic living by exchanging the numerous currencies of your vast domain!"**

Naruto was a little overawed by how much Zaro wished to answer him, but decided to make the most of it. "It you're an exchanger, than I would guess that you have a great many clients among the upper class, and as such know your way around the city."

Zaro, seeing a lifeline, immediately answered, with many self-interruptions to praise the Kyuubi's avatar, **"I do indeed, Supreme Overlord of Makai, have a great many clients among the ruling demon classes, even though I am but a feeble Hellborn! In fact, just yesterday I gave your second-nephew 500 Canisian Sols so that he may use this converted portion of your limitless wealth to start a messenger service in Canis, the realm of your inferior, the Yonbi no Inu!**

**And yes; due to some of my clients more paran- I mean wary nature, I do indeed know my way around the city to deliver their money to them!"**

At the back of his mind, Naruto heard Kyuubi mutter **'So Muino set out on his own? I can only imagine what his mother had to say about that… (Cackles).'** Naruto was more preoccupied with the chance of a guide through the city, considering he had no earthly (literally) idea where to go in the odd city he had just seen.

Adopting a commanding and confident tone that Naruto thought Zaro would expect from someone of his 'rank', he intoned "Here's how it's going to work, Zaro. You will serve as my personal guide in Omoi to make up for your quick and deplorable actions. You do this for me, and I will consider your offense forgiven."

Zaro was instantly crying with happiness and bowing incessantly, saying **"A thousand thanks, Exalted One. It would be my great Honor and Duty to serve one as awe-inspiring as you in such a way!"**

Naruto got the impression that Zaro would be better off in theater rather than accounting, but bore the endless wave of honorifics until Zaro stood up, once again towering over Naruto. **"Where would Milord wish to go at this time?"** he asked, suddenly the epitome of a dutiful servant.

Naruto shrugged and said the first thing that came to mind. "Take me to my home. I have no doubt that my clan will wish to welcome me back after my long absence." Zaro nodded, and took off at a brisk pace, saying over his shoulder **"Right this way, Milord."** In a matter of seconds, the two reached the outskirts of the city.

Following Zaro, Naruto stepped into the most confusing and energetic mess he would ever find.

From every direction, Naruto was assailed by sound, smells, and sights that he would never have found in his own realm. The multitude of voices he had heard from a distance now drowned him in a tsunami of sound, burying him in fragments of a million different conversations.

He heard merchants haggling, business associates debating, and friends reminiscing. He smelled an unending tide of scents that were unfamiliar and exotic, from the unnamable spice of a cooked meat stall, to the mineral-rich waft of a glimmering gemstone.

He saw every iota of the objects and persons from which these originated as well, seeing every imaginable demon in every imaginable costume, and for a second he wondered if Sharingan or Byakugan users ever suffered from this kind of sensory overload.

All the while he followed Zaro as he slipped through cracks in the impenetrable throng that Naruto simply couldn't see. All of this was in the first ten feet.

Naruto quickly realized that being 'tailless' meant that he was seen as little more that mobile dirt. He was cut off, elbowed out of the way, and told pointedly by some more harried demons that he should be in the mines where he should be.

Naruto was subject to a constant rumble of discontent from Kyuubi inside him. Apparently, the lack of prostration and worshipping didn't agree with him. **'Not funny.'** Kyuubi retorted to this errant thought.

Zaro stopped at the nearest Magma Harbor, as Kyuubi instructed Naruto was the proper name. Without a second thought, Zaro stepped onto the stream of lava, as it were a stable surface, and let the natural flow carry him to Kami-only-knows where. It took the three-tail a few seconds to realize that Naruto had hesitated in stepping onto the current of molten rock that could melt him in a millisecond.

Zaro hastily stepped off and returned to Naruto's side. **"Is there a problem, Milord?"** he asked, obviously worried about his newfound master. Naruto eloquently replied with "Um… well… you see…"

Before he could make more of a fool of himself, Kyuubi hissed at him **'It's the same as that blasted w****ater walking thing you do, you idiot. Just use your Yokai instead of Chakra.'** Armed with this new information, Naruto waved Zaro off and, concentrating on his chakra flow and drawing out the more primal Yokai out from beneath it, he stepped onto the magma flow.

It felt like standing on stones that had been left in a hot sun, but it was comfortable instead of unpleasant. However, Naruto had a few close calls in balancing on a moving surface that shifted a lot more than water did.

But he remained standing, and with a relieved Zaro back in front, Naruto followed the Hellborn (he guessed that it was some kind of demon category) on his way through Omoi to Kyuubi's ancestral home.

After three different Magma Harbors, Zaro stepped off onto a terrace built on one of the larger pillars near the center of the city. Naruto, rather clumsily, stepped off with him.

Naruto noted that this pillar was different to the others; in the fact that the only demons anywhere near it were fox-demons. As far as Naruto could see, there were foxes bigger than him walking on two legs or all fours, in every color you could think of, not all of them natural.

Apparently, the interest was mutual, as nearly every single one of the demons stopped to stare at Zaro and Naruto. Most of the gazes were curious, while some disapproving and a great minority were full of contempt. Naruto assumed that this was a fox-only zone.

Undaunted, or simply very good at hiding intimidation, Zaro led Naruto through the growing crowd of onlookers to the inside of the pillar, which Naruto noted was the exact same shade as Kyuubi's fur.

On the inside, Naruto found that he had underestimated the pillar's size. He had been so preoccupied with it's twisting height that he had failed to notice it's width, which could easily fit the entire Konohagakure comfortably. This was noticed at the back of his mind, however, the forefront more concerned with the utter grandeur of the interior.

The first thing Naruto noticed was the giant chandelier around 10 stories above his head. It was comprised of easily a million chips of gems and crystals, all of them so polished that the reflected light nearly blinded him. But through the glare, Naruto saw that different colors of chips had been used to form the image of a great crimson nine-tailed fox in the middle of a clearing.

The picture was so detailed that Naruto was half-convinced he was looking through a very shiny, magical window. To further add to its beauty, Naruto saw that with every step he took, the image shifted, as if there were a living, breathing fox hanging above him.

The second thing he noticed was the stairway. Wrapped around the entirety of the interior was a massive staircase, easily wide enough to lead ten wagons side-by-side down it. The steps were marble, while the beam was a continuous flow of silver, gold, and precious stones the size of his fist at regular intervals.

The staircase ascended clockwise, leading up until right before the chandelier, ending at an arch of platinum and rubies so large that Naruto had no doubt that Kyuubi walk through it in his true form. The walls were adorned with countless tapestries and paintings, all the works of masters.

Directly across from Naruto, kilometers away but seeming much closer, was a magnificent depiction of Kyuubi looking down on what seemed the entirety of Omoi, it's giant, sprawling growth looking like a stone bush of biblical proportions.

Looking down from his position at the beam, which he had rushed to in excitement, Naruto looked down what seemed to be an endless pit. Naruto could just barely see the base of the pillar, with a floor of the finest obsidian, practically choked with fox-demons milling around, climbing up the staircase with literally inhuman speeds, going through one of the numerous arches similar to the one at the top, though no where near as grand.

Naruto suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

"**The way is over here, Milord. The royal chambers are higher up."** Zaro called over, dragging Naruto's attention away from the inside of the tower. Naruto shook his head to rid the sudden vertigo, and walked over to where Zaro was patiently waiting. Naruto started to toss around ideas of making the Hellborn his personal valet after whatever brouhaha that followed ended.

"**Since the distance from here and the chambers is vast, I humbly suggest that we 'pick up the pace.'" **Zaro said, pointing out how the staircase curled at least five times around the massive width of the tower before it reached the arch. Silently nodding, Naruto mentally braced himself, and took off.

Once again, Naruto was flying up the stairs with barely any effort. So imagine his surprise when Zaro blew past him with such force that the slipstream pulled Naruto off his feet. After Naruto had a few minutes to rub the new bump on his head he acquired after landing rather hardly on the steps, Zaro reappeared with the most perfect face of horror.

"**I am infinitely sorry, Milord. I did not realize that you could not use your full power in this form. I should have known though, and for that I beg that you inflict upon me any punishment you wish!" **Naruto was still a little light-headed, and the only thing he could even think was 'If crossing half a country in an hour is as slow as a snail to him, how fast are the nine-tail demons?'

Kyuubi answered nonchalantly, failing to register the shock that was coursing through Naruto's brain. **'At my full power, I probably could have circled your planet twice in the space of a second. But that takes a lot of energy, so I usually go slower.'** Naruto stored that information in the 'Look at Later' file in his brain, for the sake of his continued sanity.

After collecting enough stability of mind to stand up, Naruto insisted that Zaro stop prostrating himself and forget about it. At long last, he did, but there was still a hint of fear in his eyes. Trying to break the sudden awkward mood, Naruto took off running again, hoping that the rush of air would clear his head.

Even with the most powerful strides at the fastest pace he could manage, Zaro easily caught up. But this time he stayed level with Naruto, whether through fear of knocking him down again or fear of a blow to Naruto's pride, he didn't know.

In a matter of minutes, which Naruto now wondered could have been seconds to some higher-up demon, Naruto and Zaro stood outside the great arch, the glorious chandelier just a few hundred meters above them. Naruto caught the 'just' in his thoughts, and wondered if the giant-like proportions of the tower were starting to affect his perspective.

Through the arch, Naruto saw more steps, going up at a steep angle, but Naruto could hear massive voices coming from the chamber beyond. Zaro, now a little hesitant, stated meekly, **"Right this way."**

The reality of the situation seemed to finally impact Naruto at that moment. Here he was some budding tri-breed, in the center of the Makai capital, about to walk in on the most feared demon in history's immediate family, and… do what exactly? Naruto felt a little light-headed.

Kyuubi, who simply couldn't stand this kind of behavior, all but shouted at Naruto **'Quit acting like some helpless rabbit, you hairless ape! You are going to walk in there and you are going to announce your arrival like you own the place, because you do. For all intents and purposes, you are the new me! You are the new face of the almighty Kyuubi! By right, you are ruler of this entire realm!"**

**So, you are going to stop being a shrinking violet and you are going to go in there, look my mate and kits straight in the eyes and fangs, and you are going to demand that you be trained to rise back up to your station! Show some backbone!'** Naruto, his male ego now soaring, grunted and strode right towards the royal chamber with confidence in his every step, Zaro now trailing belatedly.

Kyuubi chuckled. You could always count on human pride to get things done.

Naruto walked up the steps, following one of the towers numerous horizontal bends, and stepped into a giant dome. The wealth here was less stunning, but much more elegant. If the main tower was meant to impress outsiders, this room was made to remind the inhabitants of their power. Much less gaudy, 'look-at-me' objects, but Naruto distinctly suspected that every single piece of the magnificent ceiling was pure gold.

The layout of the dome itself was really very simple. He was inside a geometrically perfect hemisphere. About 100 stories up, the walls flowed into a curved ceiling carved with demonic symbols, ending at a 'small' hole at the top, obviously for a messenger to enter should he or she have wings.

The floor was plain alabaster, but Naruto saw that it was seamless, with not cuts or chips, as if the floor had grown from the tower. The walls were made of the same stone as the tower.

Around the equator of the room and onward, there were giant blankets and cushions, all of them red, though not the same shade. A few nearer to the back had golden tassels. Naruto was slightly more concerned with the beings who occupied the cushions.

They were all fox-demons, but unlike their more common three- or four-tail brethren, there was not a single demon in the room with less than five tails, and a stunning female nestled against the back wall had a total of nine. All of them could have dwarfed a house, but the female was the almost the same size of the Kyuubi.

There were a few exceptions, but for the most part all of the demons had a shade of fur close to their father's, for this was Kyuubi's immediate family.

It was difficult to discern what they were thinking from their facial expressions, but their eyes told all. From what Naruto could see, everyone in the room was looking at him with a strange mix of bewilderment and amusement, as if they were glad that there was something new to stare at, but wondering if they should be mad or not that it was there.

Naruto saw, for the briefest second, a flicker of hope in the eyes of Kyuubi's mate, but it was soon suppressed by the lofty confidence of one with no fear of death.

Naruto walked forward, trying not to look as if he had no idea what he was doing. Around a hundred paces from the nearest fox, Kyuubi's mate spoke. **"Stop there, and state your purpose. It had best be worthy, for you have entered a forbidden place."**

Her voice had the same bone-shaking quality as Kyuubi's, and it was filled with authority, but it was oddly gentle. Naruto self-consciously cleared his throat.

"My reasons for coming here," he uttered, aware that he was in the presence of royalty, "Are to receive the training to return to my rightful station." His words were met with a great deal of murmuring among the younger generation, most of it curious. Kyuubi's mate, however, was staring at him with an odd sort of hostility.

"**What could your station be, stranger, that would justify you coming to the hall of the Kitsune Clan and asking us, the highest authority in all Makai, to train you?"** Naruto suddenly forgot how to speak; the power behind that statement was beyond intimidating. Kyuubi, infinitely aware of his mate's temper (it had cowed him in the past, though he'd never admit it), whispered to Naruto the words to say to calm her down.

"It is not my station, exactly, but the station of the being of which I am the container. Through a deal with the Shinigami, a human sealed your beloved, Seiren, into my body." Seiren was visibly shocked and involuntarily whispered **"Kishin…"**

She recovered quickly, and contrary to what Kyuubi thought would happen, she was angrier than ever. **"Leave now! You are a liar and wretch, and you are not allowed back here ever! Be gone!" ** Naruto was surprised by her aggressive response. "But—AHHHHHH!"

Quick as a cobra, Seiren had lashed out with one of her tails. Had not Naruto flinched out of the way, he would have been crushed. **"I will kill you myself if you don't leave now! Flee from here and never speak of such things again. You cannot contain my mate. He is dead and gone forever!"** Naruto felt a stab of hurt that was not his own. **'Seiren, how…'**

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, anything, to calm Kyuubi's (Kishin's?) mate, but a roar stopped him: a roar that could crush mountains, destroy civilizations, and cause continents to perish.

"**I SAID GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"** Seiren was panting, her tails waving behind her in anger, but Naruto saw tears in her eyes.

The fox with seven tails that sat at her left whimpered, and Naruto saw his eyes dart over to look at Naruto, a desperate wish in them. Before he could contemplate what that could mean, Seiren roared again. Overtaken by a sudden, choking fear, Naruto pulled a 180 and _ran_.

A mix of chakra and yokai streaming from his legs, Naruto poured everything he had into his leg muscles and fled from the goddess of death that now hated him. In a blur of fear and motion, Naruto fled out from the chamber, fled down the staircase of the tower, and ran out onto the terrace beyond.

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Zaro following him, but that barely registered. Naruto's brain had cut off all higher functions, for there was only one thing that mattered: survival. In a flash, Naruto blew through the ranks of the cowering fox-demons around the tower.

He flung himself onto the Magma Stream, and ran back towards the gates, beyond caring that he was going in the wrong direction. After a minute of nothing but adrenaline and reflex, Naruto found himself back at the pools. Once there, the manic desire to run disappeared, and Naruto stopped channeling the two energies to his legs, suddenly feeling tired.

Naruto fell to the ground, his limbs trembling from the adrenaline still in his system. Zaro stood to the side, looking unsure as to what he was supposed to be doing. After about two minutes, Naruto returned to his normal state of being, and his blunt mind immediately questioning his inner demon on what the hell just happened.

'Care to explain why your mate almost literally bit my head off?' Kyuubi took a long while to answer, but Naruto knew it was not from ignoring the question, but because Kyuubi himself was trying to figure it out. He could feel the mix of confusion and hurt inside him.

'**When the other Bijuu and I left for the Human Realm,' **Kyuubi began, his tone oddly subdued. **'I promised Seiren that I would be back before our newest litter was born. If I had not, it meant that I was either captured or in a situation where I could not return.'**

Naruto could literally feel the pain behind Kyuubi's words, and Naruto suddenly felt sympathy for the demon lord; he had never been this vulnerable, ever.

'**It was just supposed to be a routine sweep.' **Kyuubi continued, confessing the answer to the unspoken question in Naruto's thoughts: Why had the Bijuu appeared? **'Once every century or two, we would come into your world to find new resources and to intimidate your people, just for fun and to keep the idea of demons alive among you.'**

'**However, this time was different. There had never been an Ichibi, because any demon worth the time of day had at least one tail, so there was no point in making an official station out of it."**

**But some idiot human managed to turn himself into a demon through some pathetic attempt at power. The people of Suna, where he lived, learned how to seal him. They discovered the power of the Jinchuuriki, and they shared the information with the rest of the world for the next time the Bijuu appeared.'**

**I was resting in a cave in your country. From what I could learn, some of your ninja learned of my presence, and reported to your Council."**

**Your father was all for leaving me alone, but that maggot Danzo was obsessed with the idea of a Jinchuuriki at his disposal.' **Kyuubi laughed mirthlessly.

'**They sent Orochimaru to provoke me in any way to attack so that the Yondaime would be forced to seal me. That wretched excuse for a snake was already obsessed with immortality, and he knew from our lore that demons and Hanyou are immune to the flows of time."**

**So, while I was asleep, he tried to extract some of my seed to impregnate some poor woman so that he could possess the child and live forever.**

**I woke up before he could even think of starting. I was enraged that some puny insect of a man would try to steal from me, in any way, and I attacked him. However, he was exceptional for a human, and evaded me. I went into a rage and charged after him, leading me to Konoha. The rest you can probably figure out…'**

Naruto was silent, in both mind and voice, thinking over Kyuubi's tale and finding that it fit with what little he knew. His hatred for Orochimaru grew tenfold.

'So when you didn't come back for twelve years…' Naruto asked Kyuubi, back on the subject of Seiren's anger. Kyuubi replied with fatherly loss **'You saw five of my kin that I never have. They smallest had her sixth tail…'**

Naruto knew next to nothing about how long it took for fox-demons to grow their tails, but he guessed that it took a while to grow that many.

"So," Naruto said, saying it aloud to make it real. "Kyuubi's entire family thinks he's dead, I am a puny human with nothing but Genin-level skills and some yokai, and my only companion is a three-tail that is only following me out of fear."

When Naruto said it to himself, he realized how pathetic and hopeless the situation was.

"**Excuse me, Kyuubi-sama,"** Zaro said, speaking for the first time in ten minutes. **"But I have to disagree with your assessment of me. I fear and respect you, but I see it as an honor to help you, not a chore or punishment."** The blue-gray demon puffed up his chest suddenly.

"**If your kin do not believe that you are who you are, we'll have to show them!"** Naruto stared at him strangely. "How am I supposed to do that?" A new voice ran out, rich and containing the hint of thunder. **"Reacquire your power, Chichi-ue."**

Naruto spun around to see where the voice came from. He found himself looking at a younger version of Kyuubi's human form.

The crimson hair was cropped short, and the tanned muscles were not so bulging, and the fox-ears were shorter, but it was unmistakable that the newcomer was closely related to Kyuubi. He wore a simple brown tunic and grey shorts combo that Naruto cold have seen on a civilian in his village.

Seven red-orange tails waved behind him.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Naruto asked, almost a reflex. He did _not_ like people sneaking up on him: brought back bad memories. The man replied by bowing at the waist, looking up with hope so concentrated it was almost painful.

"**My name is Yotogi, firstborn of the fourth litter of the Kitsune Lord and Lady."** Walking forward, he stood in front of Naruto, towering him. He knelt down to eye-level, and looked Naruto deep into the eyes. **"Do you really hold my father?"**

Naruto could practically feel the desperate curiosity and hope Yotogi was broadcasting. Willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, Naruto answered "Yes, though differently now than before." There was not even a microscopic trace of a lie in Naruto's face.

Yotogi smiled in a way Naruto knew Kyuubi never would; it was far too gentle and innocent. With a cry, the seven-tail jumped screaming into the air, proclaiming for the whole of Makai to hear. **"YES, HE'S ALIVE! HE'S ALIVE!" **Naruto, Zaro, Kyuubi, _and_ the stoic rock that was Angelus sweat-dropped simultaneously.

Naruto wondered if he had met his demon partner in the title of 'hyperactive idiot.'

Zaro was shocked that a member of the Kyuubi's kin would be so openly joyful and immature, considering the Kitsune clan outmatched the Hyuuga in their formality.

Kyuubi was appalled that one of his kits was so obviously… _childish_.

Angelus was uncomfortable with the idea of being cooped up with a soon-to-be angst-y father.

A great deal longer than the laws of physics claimed it would take for Yotogi to reach the apex of his fall and lose his upward momentum, the demon landed on the ground with a smile on his beaming face. Apparently noticing Zaro for the first time, he was instantly the epitome of powerful elegance.

"**I apologize… don't know what came over me." **He said, trying to hide the embarrassment in his tone. Naruto, however, couldn't care less about precedence of social standing. He asked, incredibly blunt, "You didn't answer the second part of my question."

Luckily for him, he was seen by the individuals present as one of highest status, so they didn't care about his forwardness. Yotogi cleared his throat and answered Naruto's question with a sense of release; he had waited his whole life to meet his father, in any form.

"**Ever since I was born, I've always wanted to know my father,"** he said, beginning his tale. **"I felt that there was simply some important reason that I find my father, even though Haha-ue could handle the clan affairs just fine."**

**I think she wanted to have you return too, and wanted at least one of us to do it in her place. She even named me 'watcher', so I'm sure of it."**

**However, fortune did not smile upon me. There wasn't even a whispering of any of the Bijuu lords returning. Every day, I was surrounded by rumors. In my lifetime, I believe I have heard every possibility for my father's and his fellows' absence imaginable, from defection to ambush by Tenshi to some cataclysmic event in the Human Realm that sent them into oblivion."**

**I could tell that Haha-ue wanted to believe as I did that you were alive and would return soon, but slowly… her hope died. She buried herself in clan business and constantly told me 'stop your foolishness, be a good kit, your place is here' blah blah blah." **Yotogi rolled his eyes, before remembering Zaro and resuming his 'regality.'

"**I did not give up hope, though, and I was always on the lookout for even a whispering of the truth."** At this point, Yotogi could not repress a smile near psychotic in its joy. **"And now, today, you show up out of the blue! Sure, **_**you**_** aren't my father, but he exists within you! He's came back!"**

Naruto, finding that the demon youth wasn't any threat, loosened up a bit. "Well, yeah, your dad came back through me. What's the use when your mom is convinced I'm just some offensive poser?" Yotogi's face fell and picked back up so fast that Naruto wondered if the fox was bipolar.

"**Did you not hear what I said when I first appeared? Regain your power, and Haha-ue will **_**have**_** to see that you are who you say. And then, chichi-ue can rule Makai again through you and everything will work out!"** Naruto reevaluated his growing view of Yotogi. He was not like him, more like Lee; he acted as if yelling things loudly enough would make them true.

Kyuubi decided that he wanted to be heard, and all but snarled at Naruto to repeat what he said. Let's not contaminate the story by repeating his exact words. Suffice to say that Naruto suddenly spoke to Yotogi in a near-perfect imitation of Kyuubi's tone. "(You are a complete fool, kit!)" The yell was so out of the blue that both Zaro and Yotogi jumped in surprise. However, Kyuubi was on a roll, and Naruto was too temporarily-subservient to care about what he said, just with repeating Kyuubi's words exactly.

"(You are sullying my name by acting so immature! You represent me and the entire Kitsune clan, whether you like it or not! You cannot simply run out of the Tower to chase after some random tailless because he says something of interest, no matter how extreme it is!)" If Naruto's tone was anything to go by, Kyuubi was seriously pissed with Yotogi's brashness.

It continued on in a similar thread for several minutes, until Zaro was covertly stepping away and Yotogi was all but going into the fetal position. Sensing no end in sight, Naruto, in a sudden inspiration, created a kage bunshin with the mental command to continue Kyuubi's rant, or at least he tried.

What happened instead would have given the entirety of Konoha's older generation a simultaneous heart attack.

Kyuubi, naturally, didn't like people trying to escape from him, in any way, shape, or form. Parental authority and demonic pride screaming, Kyuubi forcibly seized the kage bunshin in its half-complete form inside Naruto's mind. When he was behind the seal, he couldn't do that, but now that the seal was gone, happy day. Or at least that's what Kyuubi thought. In actuality, what Kyuubi didn't realize was that Naruto's soul was now one-third demon, and as such was infinitely compatible with Kyuubi's power. So, instead of his chakra canceling out the jutsu, it was sucked up and used instead. Consequently, instead of stopping the kage bunshin, Kyuubi fell pray to one of the strangest sensations he had ever felt. The closest equivalent to the feeling would have been being sucked in by a black hole while simultaneously being repelled by the cosmic anomaly. The sensation lasted only a second, but when it ended, Kyuubi found himself not inside Naruto's mindscape, but standing on the ash-road to glorious Omoi and staring at the stunned faces of his host, one of his kits, and the unimportant Hellborn.

Naruto stared at the clone… Kyuubi… whatever it was. He had no idea what just happened. He remembered performing the jutsu, then feeling as if it had changed direction halfway. And now, the terror of Konohagakure no Sato and Hi no Kuni stood before him, somehow managing to look both shocked and superior. The only difference from the original was that this one only had one tail.

Naruto intelligently asked "What… how… but… where are your other tails?" Kyuubi seemed largely immune to any surprise he might be feeling. After all, one does not become ruler of an entire realm by letting surprise get the best of them. **"It would appear that I can transfer my consciousness to one of your kage bunshin, which receives the amount of power I put into the effort. I only used one tail to 'interrupt' your jutsu, so I only have one tail. This is perfect; it will be so much easier to train you in person."**

Zaro had thrown himself to the ground, muttering some kind of demonic prayer over and over again; no one paid him too much attention. Yotogi, on the other hand, could not take his eyes off his father. **"Is that you, Chichi-ue?"** Kyuubi turned to look at one of his many sons. After three seconds of seeing each other for the first time, Kyuubi deadpanned and said **"Every word I said through the blond baka still applies sochi. How you gained seven tails is beyond me."**

Yotogi physically trembled under his sire's harsh words. **"However, you **_**did**_** come to help us, so maybe I'll consider letting you off with a warning."** At this, Yotogi was all-smiles, and swore quietly **"I am yours to command, Chichi-ue."**

Naruto, naturally, had to interrupt the little moment. "Um, so what's the plan again?" Kyuubi suppressed the urge to sigh; his host could be really dumb. **"Here is the plan, gaki: train you to nine-tail status. Seiren wouldn't accept your claims if you showed me in this way. Even if I put all of my tails into the kage bunshin, it would still just be a kage bunshin. I could be dispelled, and that just won't do. If you reached got nine tails naturally, however, you would be acknowledged as the new Kyuubi. After that you can train with that Tenshi-teme and then you can do whatever comes next."**

Naruto nodded; it worked with the vague plans for the future he had. However, Naruto suddenly connected some rather obvious dots. "Wait, if you can transfer to a kage bunshin, then why can't Angelus?" Not even bothering with confirmation, Naruto tried to make another kage bunshin while mentally telling Angelus to 'seize' it. A puff of smoke later, and Angelus was floating above the road with one set of wings.

Wings. On a Tenshi. In Makai. Near the demon capital. In the presence of two pure-bred demons.

Before the smoke from the bunshin had even fully cleared, Yotogi was moving to attack, while Zaro was suddenly screaming at the top of his lungs **"Tenshi! Sound the alarm!"** While Angelus was still recovering from the 'sucking' sensation, Yotogi had savagely slashed the bunshin; dispelling it and sending Angelus forcibly back into Naruto's body, which for the record felt like his insides were expanding while his outsides were imploding.

Now, Naruto was not a bright guy. A natural goofiness and educational sabotage courtesy of every Academy instructor other than Iruka had added up to one of the stupidest genin to ever serve Konoha. However, even he could see that if Zaro kept up his calls, some very unfriendly demons were about to show up. As fast as his hanyou muscles could move him, he rushed forward and covered Zaro's hands, while Kyuubi watched with amused interest.

Once Zaro had stopped trying to project past Naruto's hand, silence reigned. Yotogi, who had grown up in an environment where Tenshi were seen like Jews during WWII in Germany, was staring at Naruto as if he were carrying a lethal, contagious disease. **"Chichi-ue, what is the meaning of this?"** Yotogi never once stopped staring at Naruto while asking the question, his expression suddenly… terrifying. For the first time since he had arrived, the seven-tail looked like a demon.

Kyuubi replied in a cavalier tone: after all, it wasn't like they would die if demons found them. **"Well, one cocky Tenshi decided to get in some ningen's pants, she got knocked up, and three or four generations later we got my host here. The Tenshi you just saw, who I've started to affectionately call Prissy-dono, was assigned to stick around in Blondie's mind to train him in the ways of the arrogant busybodies."** Naruto and Angelus both felt near identical flashes of annoyance at Kyuubi's casual insults.

Zaro flawlessly slipped out of Naruto's grasp and started edging away. **"Can I take back that oath of fealty from a while ago?"** he asked, avoiding even looking at Naruto.

Two seconds later, Naruto's yokai and chakra were flaring and Zaro was once again cowering. Naruto spoke very clearly, using a serious tone that was rarely heard from him. "Down here, my ancestry does not matter. What _does_ matter is that I was banished from my village, and I came here because it seemed like the only good option. Since I'm here, I might as well go all the way and become the new Kyuubi or whatever."

Staring at Yotogi and Zaro in turn, his eyes like ice, Naruto continued with "I am a hanyou, which means that I _am_ a demon. The fact that I am a nephilim as well is not important. So, am I going to have to remind you of the fact I'm a demon every twenty minutes, or are you two going to move past the fact that one-third of my genes are those of your greatest enemy?" For a split second, a sliver of Ten'yuu escaped Naruto's coils, briefly outlining wings-to-come in a white-blue light. Combined with the red and blue halo of the yokai and chakra, it was truly awe-inspiring.

Yotogi and Zaro, seven-tail Kitsune and three-tail Hellborn, were intimidated by the display. When both of Naruto's supernatural energies died down, they both just silently dipped their heads towards Naruto.

Feeling a little lightheaded from his first taste of combined power, Naruto just waved off the nods. "Well, let's find a place where we can bunker down until I can stand in front of the Kitsune clan without quaking from fear." Chuckling a little at the joke at his expense, Naruto took off on the road, taking a previously unnoticed fork that deviated from the road to Omoi towards the rest of Makai. Zaro following with reverence, Kyuubi following with amusement, and Yotogi sticking close to his father, Naruto took off to find a little hole in which he could train to be the most powerful demon in existence.

* * *

They found a convenient cave about a mile away from Omoi. It was spacious, surprisingly so, big enough to fit a small two-story house. Once there, Naruto realized that all he had was the pair of boxers that Angelus had conjured up for him. He also realized that he was hungry, if the growls originating from his stomach were any indication.

Kyuubi, naturally, took charge. **"Hellborn, go into the city and find some food. No produce or salamander-cooked meat. If the ningen ate those, he'd most likely die from his brain overheating through his mouth."** Zaro bowed in reverence, and took off in a blur towards Omoi. Turning to Yotogi, Kyuubi continued rattling off his list of commands. **"Sochi, I want you to find a decent tailor or blacksmith, and get my host some suitable attire: I refuse to let my host train in those Tenshi rags. I'm thinking of sturdy pants and some light armor for his chest. Nothing too heavy or expensive; we don't want to draw attention."** Yotogi nodded and disappeared; there was no other way to describe the speed with which he departed.

Kyuubi turned to Naruto and, in a no-nonsense tone that would not be out of place in a nun teacher, said to Naruto **"Listen, gaki, I am going to train you to take up my job. However, I need to know why you want the title."** Naruto blinked in incomprehension. "Wait, I'm only doing this 'cause you and Angelus told me to." Kyuubi sighed and, without warning, gave a sucker punch to Naruto's gut.

Since he only had one tail of power, the blow was nowhere near how powerful it could have been. It fulfilled its purpose though, if Naruto's ragged gasps were anything to go by.

"**Wrong answer, gaki. If you don't know what you're going to do with all that latent power, I might as well kill you now and spare myself having to watch the horror you could wreak if you had no purpose."** Kyuubi spoke with undisguised disdain, which really went on Naruto's nerves.

"What are you talking about? I have a purpose! I'm gonna be—" **"Hokage, right? Well, you're a missing-nin."** Naruto fell silent at that; he hadn't had time to come to grips with the fact that his life-long dream was now impossible. Kyuubi, graciously, gave him a few seconds before saying **"Let me explain your situation. You are the first tri-breed in existence. You came here to train your demon-side. Due to circumstances, you will probably be called on to take my place as Kyuubi. At the same time, you need to learn how to be a Tenshi, which means training with Prissy-sama in Hebun. Since Tenshi as a race care more about connections and bloodlines than Konoha ever could, they'll be waiting with some specially made position for, and I predict, 'the honorable heir to both great races.' So you have to deal with that. What I want you to answer me is this question: Why are you doing these things? Why didn't you just decide to keep living in your world as a run-of-the-mill missing-nin, despite what you are? And you are not allowed to say 'because you told me so.'"**

Naruto stopped the half-formed protest in his throat and thought over Kyuubi's question. He thought harder then he ever had, thinking of it from every angle in the way a Nara would. What did he want with life? Why did he want to train as a demon and Tenshi? What would he do if he _did_ manage to get all nine tails and eight wings?

After ten minutes of self-questioning and analyzing so intense that steam was practically coming out his ears, Naruto came up with an answer. "I train to become the most powerful human, demon, and Tenshi I can be. I do this to prove to Konoha and to myself that they were wrong: I had a bigger purpose in life than to be their punching bag. More than that, I want protect all those precious to me."

"To do that, I must stake a claim in all three realms. I will start my own village in my world in order to shelter my friends and show the Shinobi world the power of a 'dobe.' I will become the Kyuubi to help bring honor back to your name and to take care of your kits in your stead. Finally, I will become the King of Hebun, in order to look after the family I never had. Somewhere in Hebun, my father or my father's family exist; I want to see them and take care of them. That is why I train, Kyuubi-sama." As Naruto spoke, a strange light seemed to show in his eyes: the glimmer of destiny.

Kyuubi was caught between a scoff and a chuckle. **"In other words, you want world domination, three times over."** Behind his amusement, Kyuubi was secretly impressed at the passion with which the boy spoke; it invoked a sense of awe he was totally unfamiliar with.

"So to speak. I've always overdone things; why stop now?" Naruto smiled, and it was a _real_ smile, not that prankster mask he showed everyone else. Kyuubi was briefly reminded of the Yondaime. **'I only saw that ningen once, and he earned my respect. His son is something even more.'**

It was at that moment that both Zaro and Yotogi returned. Zaro was carrying what looked like half the carcass of some animal shaped like a boar but the size of an elephant. Yotogi was carrying a bundle of black wrapping paper in his hands, which he laid on the ground and unraveled.

Inside, there was a pair of pants that looked like it was threaded out of soot. However, it looked very durable, and they were stretchy to accommodate Naruto in the coming months when puberty would finally arrive and make him tall. Next to the pants were a couple forearm plates that looked like they were made from steel, but they were black. There was also a 'jacket' that consisted of two plates, one for the front and one for the back, that were looped together so that Naruto could stick his head into the gap between them. There were leather buckles on the sides and the plates were, like the forearm guards, made from the black steel. After that, there was a pair of sandals to replace the ninja ones Naruto had lost in his world. Though Naruto did not know this, they were fashioned after the sandals worn by the Ancient Greeks, though they were adapted so that they could fit other beings besides humans. They were, of course, black. The last thing Yotogi revealed were two wrist weights and two ankle weights in the form of slim metal bands that opened out (picture handcuffs, but thicker and in black).

"**The storekeeper threw those in for free, considering I bought so much."** Yotogi tossed the clothes to Naruto, who caught them and eagerly put them on. Naruto felt the pants with his heightened senses. If his boxers were air, these were ash and metal. They were comfortable though, and Naruto put them on. The forearm-guards were comfortable, and the plates felt cool and comfortable against Naruto's skin. The 'plate-jacket' was very loose even after Naruto tightened the buckles to their limits, but it felt well enough, protecting all of Naruto's vitals. The weights, surprisingly, were light as a feather.

Kyuubi saw Naruto's confusion and explained **"The weights are very high-tech. They get heavier based on your muscle mass, automatically getting heavier once you get used to a specific weight. They also take occasional 'breaks,' so that you don't tear your muscles when you take them off. As an added bonus, they use your yokai, or in your case chakra, as an energy source, so they double their usefulness by increasing your capacity. When I left, these were right off the market. I'm guessing that by now they're obsolete."**

Yotogi nodded at his father's words, while Zaro silently started to build a fire to cook the meat he brought. **"Right now, the newest thing is a one-piece suit that puts weight on your whole body in perfect amounts, also with the yokai leeching, but it also stores it so that you can have up to a full tail of spare power in a tight spot. Chouru practically begged Haha-ue for one."** Yotogi chuckled at the brief memory of his oldest sibling's antics: the oldest son of the great Kyuubi, literally on all-fours begging for the newest toy.

Naruto ignored the explanation of the upgraded version, instead just putting on the weights. Naruto instantly felt his chakra, yokai, and an energy he only felt once at the Valley of the End be sucked into the weights, which were suddenly twenty pounds heavier.

Naruto gasped as he felt the energy that must be his Ten'yuu. It was an ocean, calm on the surface, but with millions of currents beneath the surface. Whereas chakra felt calm and yokai felt primal, the Ten'yuu felt elegant, like it was used only by higher beings. For a split second, Naruto understood what Kyuubi meant when he said all Tenshi are arrogant; the power made him tempted to proclaim his superiority.

Naruto made some experimental movements with his new clothes. The sandals felt odd, but they were comfortable. The ankle weights fit right into them, as if they were made to permit room for the small metal band. The wrist weights didn't get in the way of his forearm-guards, so that was convenient. All in all, Naruto was very comfortable with his new attire.

By this time, Zaro had cooked the _entire_ carcass, and was taking out a small cooking knife to cut off strips. Yotogi picked up two or three and started to chew on them right then and there, showing that demons didn't really have table manners. Kyuubi dispelled himself, returning to Naruto's mind so that the boy could bond with his companions without a chaperone.

Naruto touched one of the strips; it was scalding hot. However, Naruto had learned from the Magma Harbors, and he tapped into his yokai, considerably easier now that he could feel it due to the weights, and directed it towards his hands and mouth. Picking up once of the sizeable steaks, Naruto chewed. It didn't taste like any meat he had ever had, which wasn't saying much, since the only meet he ever had was the beef chunks in Ichiraku's ramen.

Naruto's tongue was sending a hundred different taste sensations to his brain, but the general overview was that it tasted smoky, spicy, and juicy. It was one of the best bites he had ever taken in his life, and hastily took another. Before he knew it, Naruto was tearing into the meat with bestial ferocity. Together, he, Zaro, and Yotogi made short work of the boar/elephant, a feat that not even the most glutinous Akimichi's could pull off.

Naruto collapsed on the spot, clutching his overly-contented stomach. Zaro cleaned up the mess and curled into himself, making the hard, stone floor as comfortable as possible. Knowing that shifting to his animal-form would collapse the entire cave, Yotogi contended with the ground as well, though he used his tails to make a sort of cocoon/blanket/pillow.

As the three fell asleep, and Kyuubi prepared for his first night back in Omoi for thirteen years, Angelus whispered to himself _**"You will change all the worlds, Naruto-kun."**_

* * *

**I hope that this chapter satisfies you for a while, for I have an announcement. I have been struck by possibly the greatest fanfic idea that I will ever have. So, to gain momentum and to get it out as soon as possible, I will update none of my other two stories until I reach at least five chapters. Believe me, it will be worth it. Review! Ja ne. **


	4. Important Notice

ATTENTION! THIS FIC WILL BE DELETED AT THE END OF JULY, 2009! I know, I know, that's totally evil, but i have finally realized that i simply cannot juggle multiple fics. My lazy ways mean that i can only maintain the true 'life' of a story if it's only one at a time. However, i am aware that many love this fic, and as such, i am putting it up for adoption. The first person to send a private message with a convincing enough argument will receive my reply, giving them permission to use the idea of this fic however they want, from copying it word for word until adding their own chapters to totally scraping it and remaking it with only one or two base ideas. Regardless, this fic _will_ be deleted after my birthday on July 31st. Whether or not it is continued by another's hand is up to you, my readers. I truly am sorry. Ja ne.


	5. Adopted

This story has been adopted by NaruhinaDattebayo. He only has one story, but i like his style, plus he was the first one to ask. If you wish to track this story in its reincarnated version, please check his profile. Once again, i am sorry. Ja ne.


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